


here onwards

by ribosome



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post Season 07, Trans Lance (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 23:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15695664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ribosome/pseuds/ribosome
Summary: “My grandparents are dead,” Lance says, with a tone one would use to discuss the weather. Keith can’t even find the words to reply, because at a time like this it feels as though anything could shatter the facade that Lance has been keeping up for God knows how long. The look in his eyes is enough to confirm that; the glassy, vacant look, like the window of an abandoned boutique.(lance comes by keith's room after the events of season 7.)





	here onwards

**Author's Note:**

> im so fucking emo just take this

“Hey, man,” is what Lance says when he walks into Keith's patient room, in a tired, scratchy voice. Krolia and Kolivan have left to the cafeteria to grab him something for breakfast, but Keith imagines they're not as familiar with Earth food as they assured him they were and are bending over backwards to figure out what chocolate pudding is.

Lance sits on the bed next to Keith's hip without meeting his eyes and pulls at the drawstrings on his hospital pants. He looks restless, fidgety.

“Why aren't you sleeping?” Keith asks, shifting to sit up straight. “It’s not even eight o’clock yet.”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Lance's face breaks into a grin, snickering, “Why do you have your mom and Kolivan on a hunt for chocolate pudding at seven in the morning?”

Keith huffs a laugh. “I saw the opportunity and took it.”

Lance hums, bring his legs up and folds them. He still won't meet Keith's eyes.

Keith tilts his head a little. “...How's your family?” he asks carefully. He'd have expected Lance not to leave his room for days now that they have a moment to breathe after all they've been through.

“They're good,” Lance says distantly, squinting as if he was mulling something over in his head. “So much has changed.”

Keith watches him untie and tie his drawstrings in knots over and over again. “I can imagine.” He looks at Lance’s face. His eyes are shining.

A jolt of anxiety shoots through Keith's chest and his jaw clenches. “Lance...why did you come see me?”

“My grandparents are dead,” Lance says, with a tone one would use to discuss the weather. Keith can’t even find the words to reply, because at a time like this it feels as though anything could shatter the facade that Lance has been keeping up for God knows how long. The look in his eyes is enough to confirm that; the glassy, vacant look, like the window of an abandoned boutique.

Keith hesitates. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, keeping his eyebrows from straining in sympathy.

Lance smiles softly and his eyes flit to the window, watching the sun shine in rays through the curtains and the silhouettes of birds zipping through the sky. “It’s okay,” he says honestly. He blinks hard. “I just—wasn’t there.”

Keith closes his eyes. “Lance–”

“I wasn't there for more than four years, I was—I didn't–” Lance’s voice breaks and he grimaces. His fingers are bunched up in the fabric of his pants, grasping them so tight that Keith can see his knuckles turning white.

“That's not your fault,” Keith says, and hopes his voice is dire enough to convey how intensely Lance's grief is bleeding into his own.

“I know, I know,” Lance says quickly, and rubs away the tears forming at the corners of his eyes. His fingertips linger on his cheekbone, then another unforeseen tear slips down and hangs by his chin.

It’s only been five minutes. Keith can’t take this any longer.

Keith reaches out and wipes the tear away himself, shoving Lance’s hand away in the process. Ignoring his flinch, Keith cups his jaw and forces Lance to meet him at eye level, face set with determination.

“Look at me,” Keith demands.

“I’m.” Lance swallows. “I’m looking.”

“I know you're in pain. And I know nothing can change that right now, but I can't fucking stand seeing you like this, so,” Keith licks his lips, struggling to finish his thought, “so that's my excuse. For you to stop being sad. I wish I could do more for you, and...and I hate seeing you like this.” His free hand cups the other side of Lance’s face, and the grip slackens to something softer, gentler—desperate. “I’m really bad at this. I just–”

Lance laughs, his eyes crinkling beautifully. He covers Keith's hands with his own. “You're the cutest,” he says with that fond look, that look that has Keith's palms sweating. And with the way that they're cradling his face, he's sure Lance can feel their heat.

Lance looks at Keith like he's the whole world and then some. Where's his shame? Where's his subtlety?

“It’s gonna be hard,” Lance admits, grabs Keith's hands and brings them down to his lap. His thumb grazes Keith's knuckles. “It's gonna take time for me to heal.”

Keith doesn't think he'll ever get used to Lance's warmth. “It was hard for me. My only support system was Shiro. But you,” Keith ties their fingers together, “You have the team. You have your family now.”

“Yeah, I know.” Lance's smile is genuine this time, and he murmurs, “And you. I have you.”

The air rushes almost immediately out of Keith's lungs. And then before he can think twice, he breathes, “You'll always have me.”

Lance blushes furiously at that, with this terribly happy grin on his face and disbelieving eyes. He scoffs, “Oh my God.”

“I mean it,” Keith promises, because at this point he's already buried his grave. He might as well lie in it. “I’m here and I’m not leaving you. Not now, not ever.”

“Anything can happen, Keith,” Lance reminds him, “You know that I understand.”

Keith feels a pang in his heart and drops his gaze to their interlocked fingers. “Do you?”

Lance seems to realize what crossed Keith's mind in an instant. “Hey, I’m sorry I said those things to you. You _know_ I didn't mean it,” Lance's grip tightens urgently, “We were all going crazy! And I was...channeling some of the hurt I felt when you left to join the Blade. I don't feel that way anymore.”

But Keith could look into his eyes right now and see the crack that he left in that boy's heart. Keith could see Lance pushing aside the pain that he hasn't had the time to process because he just wants him in his life again. Maybe he's telling the truth, or maybe he wants to believe it's the truth. Keith leaves it up to interpretation for now, and says, “We have a lot to talk about.”

And he's right. They do. So Lance lets his pain mix with acceptance, and decides that this is the first step to a new beginning.

The next step is sitting right in front of him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading this!! think we all need a good klance fix after the mess of season 7. 
> 
> tumblr [here](http://ribosomegirl.tumblr.com/)


End file.
